NCJ Number
204761
Journal
Criminology Volume: 41 Issue: 4 Dated: November 2003 Pages: 1287-1318
Editor(s)
Robert J. Bursik Jr.
Date Published
November 2003
Length
32 pages
Annotation
Using panel data that spans early adolescence through early adulthood to explore the importance of labeling in the development of structural disadvantage, this study examined whether official intervention in adolescence increased involvement in crime in early adulthood due to the negative effect of intervention on educational attainment and employment.
Abstract
The labeling perspective/theory of deviant behavior argues that official intervention can be a stepping stone in the development of a delinquent career. This study, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, examined the effect of both police intervention and juvenile justice intervention on subsequent early adulthood crime using a random sample from a population of adolescents; examined the long-term effect of official intervention during adolescence on young adult criminality; and tested whether the effect of official labeling in life chances and future crime was contingent on race and impoverished family background. Overall, the hypotheses from the labeling approach concerning the effect that official intervention has on important dimensions of life chances and subsequent criminal behavior were supported. Official intervention in youth has a significant, positive effect on crime in early adulthood, and the effect is partly mediated by life chances, such as educational achievement and employment. The findings attest to the viability of the labeling approach for explaining secondary deviance and point to the processes that may account for the impact of official intervention on subsequent criminal behavior. Tables, figures, and references